Over 40 blog reviews, a 90%+ rating and some seriously promiscuous food shots of baked eggs. I'm desperate to brunch at Revolver in Annandale.

The tasteful (wife included) may be excited by the Victorian-style wooden chairs in this hipster cafe. The limit to my own 'taste' in on the plate ... and later in my stomach.

Victorian pub exterior, hipster interior

It's 11am on a Sunday and I've just returned back West from a long run through the pouring rain up the rolling hills of Sydney's East.

This makes me hungry enough to eat a horse ...plus the saddle ... plus the jockey.

Add to that being at the wrong-end of a 20-person queue. Lucky for the missus and I, owner Mark is friendly and runs a tight ship of attractive, helpful and clinically efficient waitresses.

Revolver counter

Baked eggs in the way of a Veggie Big Breakfast. On a rainy day, nothing else matters. Meanwhile I coerce Lorie into choosing something with trout. She's craving bacon, but is overruled.

Vegetarian Baked Eggs and Trout Rosti

Dishes comes out. Now as a round-faced kid, I would chronically burn my fingers on a hot tray of freshly baked M&M cookies. Two decades later ... the same round face grimaces as I scald my elbow on the hot iron handle.

Beautiful dish - colourful veggies bubble inside an iron pan on a wooden plank. The beetroot puree and feta melt into the tomato lava. An avocado sits proudly on top like a pistachio ice-cream quenelle.

It's levels above a home DIY effort with two eggs, canned beans, salt and pepper shakers and an oven and worth the $17.50.

Veggie Big Breakfast - baked eggs, tomato, avocado, mushrooms, eggplant in beans with beetroot puree and soy & linseed toast - $17.50

I discover hummus to be best slathered on the grilled bread, then subsequently dunked in the tomato.

The missus breaks the silence with a loaded question - "what would you change?'"

I curtly respond - "the pan needs to be a few inches deeper".  My bucket list now includes the same dish in an iron pot and a wooden spoon to match.

Trout Rosti - Smoked trout on a corn rosti with red capsicum relish, baby spinach and avocado - $17.50

Over to the Trout Rosti, which has an uncanny resemblance to corn fritter. Impressive pancake-proportions ensures the missus goes down quickly without a fight.

Only two minor disappointments:
(i) cold trout doesn't seem to work on a hot dish
(ii) trout to rosti ratio too low. I want more.

What's the point of half an avocado plus four baby spinach leaves? Well, it dresses a relatively unaesthetic corn pancake in a cute green hat and gives you a health kick at the same time.

Hat aside, I will return for the blackboard specials and also to better understand the mermaid on the wall.

Mermaid on wall?

Just like Postman Pat, Revolver delivers:

Food - 8/10 - not overly innovative, but rustic, warming and tasty.
Value - 7.5/10 - most items on the wrong side of teens. Thankfully no '2' handle.
Other - 9/10 - great staff, personalised service but a long wait.
Overall - 8/10 - excellent food,  not going to break the bank, wish the crowds would go away.

Only tainted emotion upon leaving was that of FOMO (fear of missing out). Some other enticing options were left unexplored...

Trusty partner in crime.

Translated - we'll be back for the salmon fillet and vanilla pancake.